Keep That Blood Flowing - Avoid A Pulmonary Embolism

There's a silent killer out there. And I don't mean of the Hannibal Lecter variety.

Ever since I had that pesky blood clot in my lung last year I've taken a keen interest in the subject, and discovered that one in four deaths worldwide is thrombosis-related.
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Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms - usually in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) caused by being sedentary. It travels in blood circulation, lodging in the lungs and causing a potentially fatal  pulmonary embolism (PE).

I came into contact with an organisation called RBR Active™, which runs an awareness campaign of the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, and has developed a medical device to drastically reduce the possibility of suffering a DVT. It works by significantly increasing blood flow to the legs.

Known as the RBR Legflow™, it's effective anywhere during long periods of unavoidable inactivity, such as air travel, working in an office, being in hospital, online gaming, recovering from an operation, or just when you spend prolonged periods of time sitting.

For almost 20 years, the medical profession has been aware that restricted blood flow in sedentary people was a key contributor to developing a deep vein thrombosis.

In fact, in the late 1990’s clinical research was being undertaken at the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Otago, Wellington School of Medicine, which proved that individuals who led sedentary lives were 95% more at risk.
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However, finding a way to address this issue – especially for those who found mobility a problem – has been a slow process.

Hospitals use compression stockings, airlines recommend foot exercises and there have been plenty of unresearched items designed at improving blood flow which have hit supermarket shelves. 

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But until the RBR Legflow™, there has not been a clinically-trialled and medically-approved product proven to reduce the risk of DVT.

It's undergone extensive clinical research, and has been independently clinically trialled. The results show an 11-fold increase in blood flow, by carrying out three simple foot exercises with it, each for one minute, while sitting...as I'm demonstrating in this picture. These exercises are shown in detail at the end of the article. 

The Managing Director of RBR Active™ is Paul Westerman.

Paramedics brought him back from the dead after a clot the size of a man’s thumb, had travelled from his leg, passing through his heart and blocking both pulmonary arteries with coagulated blood. The clot had then moved on to fill the blood vessels of his lungs, so only a trace of oxygenated blood could flow.

Since that happened in 2011, Paul has built relationships with other survivors and their families, along with the bereaved. He has also offered his personal experience to inform changes in medical policy.
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In 2013, he became a trustee of Thrombosis UK and the following year was appointed as a committee member of The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in its examination of thromboembolic diseases.

And in 2018 he joined a pulmonary embolism study (initiated by the NCEPOD), working to identify avoidable and remediable factors in the management of patients diagnosed with pulmonary embolism.

The RBR Legflow™ is the result of his collaboration with of some of the most eminent medical professionals in the field of thrombosis: Professor Richard Beasley, Peter Haythornwaite, Dr Shaun Holt and Dr Rodney Hughes.

While many VTE cases are preventable, most people don't survive a massive pulmonary embolism which, unfortunately, can easiy result from them. So, seek HELP immediately if you experience the main signs of its forerunner - a DVT - in the lower leg: Heat, Excessive redness, Localised swelling, Pain. 

The RBR LegflowTM Exercises

Toe Point. Contraction of the calf muscle pump. 

​Place the  RBR Legflow™ under the ball of the foot, point the toes downward, and hold for three to four seconds. Raise the toes and stretch upwards, hold for three or four seconds. Repeat this exercise for one minute.

Arch Press. Compression of the plantar reservoir.

Place the RBR Legflow™ under the base of your foot. Arch the foot forward, and hold for three to four seconds. Arch the foot backwards and hold for three to four seconds. Repeat this exercise for one minute.

Toe Raise. Muscle relaxation for inflow to reservoir. 

Place the RBR Legflow™ under the heel of the foot. Raise toes upwards, stretch, and hold for three to four seconds. Point toes downwards and hold for three to four seconds. Repeat this exercise for one minute.

​RBR Active™ website:   https://www.rbractive.com/
​RBR Active™ Twitter:    ​https://twitter.com/rbractive